I’ve been teaching for 20 plus years, and this is my 6th year as an educator in the Montessori program. I have always believed students should have choice in their learning and be given the opportunity to following their passions and interests. Montessori is a perfect fit to my teaching philosophy, and it is such a joy guiding our students in meaningful learning that excites and engages them. I was born in raised in North Kenai, a small town on the Kenai Peninsula, and my wife was born and raised in Alaska. I have two sons: Brady, who is high school, and Orion, who completed the Montessori program K-6 here at Tudor, and is in his second year at Steller. We enjoy many outdoor activities, be is summertime camping, biking, and tag or wintertime snowboarding, sledding, and building snow sculptures, we are often outside enjoying our beautiful planet. A few of my passions and interests are gardening, spending time walking beaches looking for cool rocks, astronomy, cooking and enjoying delicious food, along with playing games with family and friends.

I’ve always had a love for teaching and learning. When asked at kindergarten graduation what I wanted to be when I grew up, I of course said a teacher. I was born and raised right here in beautiful Anchorage, Alaska. After high school I enrolled in culinary school with the big dreams of opening a bakery of my own. After graduation I spent 6 weeks studying abroad in Florence, Italy, where I took classes on artisan bread baking and wine. While my bakery dreams didn’t come to fruition, I was given the opportunity to help open local Anchorage restaurant, Bread & Brew. It was the experience of a lifetime being able to design the kitchen and develop their menu. However, at the end of the day I knew I wasn’t in my happy place. I made the decision to leave and go back to school to get my education degree. In the midst of being a college student again, I took a little time to see more of the world. I spent 4 weeks in Bali, Indonesia volunteer teaching English to school age children. That is where my true love for education developed. I was fortunate enough to do my student teaching right here at Tudor Montessori so that when I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in elementary education, I got hired into the best teaching position I could think of. Being raised in Alaska, many of my hobbies are based around our great outdoors. In the winter, my husband and I enjoy snowboarding in the mountains and spending time at our family cabin. If not outside, we can be found inside cooking/baking and playing some of our favorite card or dice games. In the summer is when the real fun happens. We enjoy camping, four wheeling, bike riding, gardening, and more time at the cabin.

I was born and raised in Anchorage, AK, the daughter of two very talented musicians (one of them, my mom, assists in our Montessori program as the "Montessori Mimi" and is, herself, a retired music teacher of over 40 years).  When I was very young, I wanted to be a plumber, a ballerina, and a teacher; I thought that I could teach plumbing in a tutu!  However, I decided that teaching was the best choice.  I am also an alumni of Tudor Elementary, as I attended here from kindergarten until 6th grade.  After graduating from Northwest University in Kirkland, WA, I started teaching at Tudor Elementary in the year 2000, taking over from my childhood Classroom Music teacher.  I also received my Masters in Education from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA.  In my 25 year teaching career, I have taught 3rd grade, Health, and Classroom Music at a variety of schools around the Anchorage School District, and for the last two years, I have been the Classroom Music Teacher here at Tudor.  I am very excited to begin teaching Lower Elementary Montessori, and am currently enrolled in my Montessori training.  In my spare time, I love to read, listen to all styles of music, and spend time with my fantastic husband Shawn.